Propelling mechanism for torpedoes



AL-MEYER.

PROPELLING MECHAMSM FOR TORPEDGES.

mam JAN. 17; 192x.

APPLICATION Pamnted 21, 1922.

WILMAMDIETER, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

rRoP ELLIndMEcnANIsM For, TORPEDOES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pate t d F 2 1922' Application filed -T8,nuary 17,.1921. Serial No; 437,728.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM DIETER, a

citizen of theUnited States of America,v re-- siding in .the' borou of Brooklyn, county ',of Kings, city and tate of New York, have .invented' certainnew andfu'seful Improve ments in Propelling'Mechanism for Torp'e does, of whichythe following isa specificathebearing framefor said shafts and for the This invention relates to propelling mechanism for torpedoes which have two propellershafts, one within theo'ther, a turbine or other motor, and gearing for communicating movlement from the motor to the shafts so as to drive them in opposite directions. The object ofthe invention 15 to provide improved bearing means whereby better to take'upthe propulsive thrusts.

The accompanying drawing is a vertical,. longitudinal mid-section of the driving for a more full illustration and description of the parts which are not fully herein described. v 4

Referring to the drawings, A designates the transverse bulkhead of the torpedo, which in general is of the usual known construction; B and,B"-aretheprimary and secondary turbine wheels; C is the turbine shaft; is its tubular housing: D and D-' are the respective propeller. shafts, and E, is

transmission gearing.

The shaft C carries a P11110111? near ts lower and, which pinion meshes with a gear wheel 6 which carries a bevel pinion 0 either fixed to it or formed integrally with it..

This pinion meshes on opposite sides with bevel gears (Z d, the former being fixed on the shaft D and the latter being fixed on the thus constituting a part of this frame. Its

shaft D, as heretofore. The gears Z) 0 turn. on a "stationary vertical shaft or crosshead F made fast at both ends in the frame E,

lower portion forms a journal or bearing for the said gears b c, and itsupper portion is similarly formed as a journal or hearing for an idler bevel pinion c. the sole function of which is to balance the pinion c and cooperate therewith in maintaining the gears 01 d 111 unison in their'opposite'rotation. A thrust bearing k is provided for taking up the end thrusts of thepropellershaft D.

'The turbine shaft Ciis mounted at its upper-end in a roller bearing 2', and at its-lower end in a double ball bearing the outer stationary raceways of 'whichare-held in the. tubular housing G which encloses the shaft C and is fastened at top'and bottom to the upper and lower members of the -frame E'; This housing has a projection or boss G on its forward side which bears against a plate A riveted to the bulkhead A, the latter havlng a reinforcing plate with upturned flanges a which transmit the thrust from the IbOSS G. Thisboss is centered by having a reduced projection u. entering hole'in' the plate A.

'So far as described, the parts are the same as those of my aforesaid application (except that the bearing 2' is a roller bearing instead of a ball bearing), and are, for convenience,

designated by the-same letters f-reference.

The present invention will now. be described. been provided .at'its forward end with a bearing supported on the crosshead F of the. frame, so that the thrust of the outer shaft has been transmitted through thisbearing to such c-ros'shead, and thence through the up-- pier and lower frame members and their connections to the transverse: bulkhead. In my aforesaid application this hearing was a ball bearing 6' formed within the bevel gear d carrying the outer ball race, while the inneiti ball race'was constructed as a sleeye seating on the central hub of the crossheadF.

According to the present.inventiomthis; construction 1s changed in such manner that the thrust of the outer propelle shaft is transmitted to theinner propelle shaft Fat.

Heretoforethe outer-shaft'D has the bearing which supports the forwardend of the outer shaft. This bearing. here lettered 100. being preferably a ball ,l 'g'ar"ng, has its outer race 18 carried within'the Ieyel' gear wheel, 1 as heretofore, while its inner ioo race 101 is formed as a ring fitting on a pot.- tion 102 of the inner shaft and seating against; a shoulder 103 thereof, so that. the

thrust transmitted from the outershaft through the balls and inner race is'received by this shoulder 103, and is thence transmitted through the inner 'shaft to the thrust bearing 71. and thence through the housing G to the bulkhead To accomplish this resuit the hub 104: of the crosshead F, through which hub the shaft D passes, is cut' back sufficiently to leave a clearance between it and the race ring 101.

tion, it will be apparent that with the old construction, where the propulsive thrust was transmitted from the outer shaft hrough its bearing to the hub 104 of the rrosshead F, that this thrust subjected this crosshead to a severe lateral strain. The present improvement relieves this crosshead of this strain, and also takes all propulsive strainsfrom theupper and lower members of the frame E and from the ends of the housing G, and concentrates all thrusts as nearly as possible in line with the axis of the shafts, that is to say, through the thrust hearing it and the thrust bearing boss Gr, the direction of these thrusts being shown by the small'arrows in the drawing. With the old construction it was found that at high speed there was a whipping of the shafts,

whereby considerable noise or chattering was 1 caused, accompanied probably by some loss of power. The improved construction eliminates this noise, so that the engine runs silently. It further has the effect of rendering the transmission more direct and efficient, and reducing the wear of the parts.

The pinion or gear teeth heretofore formed on the outer propeller shaft, are transferred to the hub 19 of the gear d which is keyed on this shaft in the usual manner. These pinion teeth are shown at 20 meshing with the gear 21 which is fixed on a shaft 22 and terminates in a coupling socket 23 for enagement with the spindle which drives the distance gear or counting down mechanism, in the usual manner. The gear teeth 20 and the gear 21 are thus transferred to a position inside theframe where they are better protected, while the necessity of cutting gear teeth on the shaft D is avoided. p

The invention may beembodied in other ways than by the specific construction shown,

as will be apparent.

I claim as my invention 1. In a torpedo having inner and outer propeller shafts, a motor, and gearing for driving the shafts in opposite directions, a bulkhead, a thrust bearing transmitting end thrust from the inner shaft to said bulk-head, and a thrust bearing for the outer shaft carried by the inner shaft, so that the propulsive thrust of the outer shaft is transmitted 11:10 said through the inner shaft to said bulk- 2. In a torpedo having inner and outer propeller shafts, a motor, gearing for driving the shafts in opposite directions, and framework having bearings for said motor, gearing and shafts, a thrust bearing for the outer shaft located within said gearing and carried by the inner shaft, so that the thrust of the outer shaft is transmitted to and through the inner shaft.

3. In a torpedo having inner and outer propeller shafts, a motor, a pinion driven by the motor, a gear driven by said pinion and carrying a bevel pinion, bevel gears meshing with said bevel pinion and fixed on the respective propeller shafts to drive them in opposite directions, and a frame affording bearings for said parts, with a thrust hearing for the outer shaft carried against a shoulder on the inner shaft, whereby the thrust of the outer shaft is transmitted through such bearing and shoulder to the inner shaft.

4. In a torpedo having a transverse bulkhead, a bearing frame having a thrust bearing engagement with said bulkhead, a motor on a shaft having hearings in said frame, inner and outer propeller shafts, gearing transmitting movement from said motor shaft to drive said propeller shafts in opposite directions, said propeller shafts and gearing having bearings-in said frame, and said frame including a transverseportion having a central bearing for the inner shaft, a thrust bearing for the outer shaft carried by the inner shaft, so that the thrust of the outer shaft is transmitted through the inner shaft and through the members of said frame in a direct line to the bearing engagement thereof with said bulkhead.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

WILLIAM DIETER. 

